Holder for flies of boots or shoes.



No. 652,368. Patented June 26, I900. C. N. LEONARD.

HOLDER FOR FLIES OF BOOTS OR SHOES.

(A lication filed Sept. 1, 1999.)

(No Model.)

witnesses: in 067260 9,

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QM a g a KW b I 72615 2660 6y UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE.

CURTIS N. LEONARD, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOLDER FOR FLIES OF BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,368, dated June 26,1900. Application filed September 1,1899. Serial No. 729,156. (Nomodel.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CURTIS N. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHolders for the Flies of Boots or Shoes, of which the following is 'aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object to provide a retaining device fortemporarily holding the flies of boots and shoes while on the last orwhile on the followers or formers subse quent to the lasting operation,the said retaining device or holder being of such construction thatwhile it may be locked so that it will properly hold the flies of theboot or shoe in place at proper times it may readily be released, sothat it will yield when the last or follower is inserted or withdrawn,thereby avoiding straining or tearing the boot or shoe. This holder whenin place, and even when in unlocked condition for the insertion orwithdrawal of the last or follower, presents a comparatively rigid baror stay, which serves to prevent any tearing or splitting of the vamp,as will be hereinafter explained.

l-Ieretofore it has usually been customary to temporarily lace the shoesor boots through the eyelet-holes for the lasting operation; but this isinconvenient. Also leather-holding devices with hooks to engage theeyelets of the boots or shoes have temporarily been inserted; but thesehave not been satisfactory, for the reason that they were too unyieldingand the boots and shoes were liable to be torn or strained when thelasts or followers were inserted or withdrawn. The objections to theprior devices referred to are obviated by the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lastedboot with one of my improved holders in operative position to retain theflies or eyelets and lacing-stud pieces in place. Figs. 2 and 3 aredetail per.- spective views of the holder, and Fig. 4 is a detailperspective view showing a slight modification.

A denotesthe vamp of a lasted boot, and (t the flies thereof, providedwith eyelets b and lacing-studs c. The holder and vamp-stay consist,preferably, of a piece of spring-wire ends.

bent to form a cross-bar d, at the base of which are small feet orprojections e, and extending from the said cross-bar and feet areelastic arms f, having hooks g at their free cross-bars d and hooks g bya locking-slide h, consisting, preferably, of a piece of wire having atits ends eyes i, encircling the said arms, and having also a handle orthumb and finger piece 70, formed of a coil of the wire. Thislocking-slide is free to be moved back and forth on the armsf, for apurpose which will presently be explained.

In the use of the improved holder and vamp stay the feet or projectionsc are inserted in two eyelets b of the opposing flies a of a boot orshoe near the vamp, and the hooks g at the free ends of the arms arethen engaged with two other opposing eyelets higher up the instep. Whenthe last or follower is to be in-- serted into or withdrawn from theboot or shoe, the locking-slide h is slipped to a posi tion near thecross-bar d of the holder, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) thus leaving the outeror free ends of the elastic armsf free to spread or be moved away fromeach other as the flies are forced apart; but when the last or followeris in place in the boot or shoe the locking-slide is slipped upward orforward on the armsf to a position adjacent to the hooks g, (see Figs. 1and 2,) thus drawing the flies a together at the eyelets engaged by saidhooks, and thereby locking the armsfin holding position.

It will be noted that when the locking-slide h is in the lockingposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the eyest' at the ends thereof areslipped over onto the bent ends of the arms f, so that the saidlocking-slide is thus securely retained in looking position and cannotbecome accidentally displaced from such position by the handling towhich the boot is subjected in the different operations which it goesthrough while on the last. It will thus be understood that thelocking-slide h does more than sim* ply draw the arms f together orprevent their separation after being drawn together, but is itselfsecurely retained in place, so that it serves not only as a stay toprevent the separation of the arms, but is itself locked againstdisplacement.

The cross-bar d is comparatively rigid, and

The arms f are connected between the as it will in the use of the holderbe located near the upper edge of the vamp A it will serve as a stay toprevent the vamp from being split or torn by the strain incidental toforcing apart the eyelet and stud flies when the last or follower isinserted or withdrawn.

The hooks g will preferably be turned outward or away from each other,as shown in Figs. 2 and 3; but they may be turned inward, as shown inFig. 4. i

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exactdetails herein shown and described, as these may be varied somewhatWithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A holder, for joining the opposing eyeleted flies ofboots and shoes,comprising a single piece of wire bent to form across-bar and, near the end of said cross-bar, projections to engage twoopposing eyelets, and, extending from said projections and cross-bar,elastic arms provided at their free ends with hooks to engage two otheropposing eyelets, combined With a sliding locking device connecting saidarms and which is held from accidental displacement when in lookingposition said locking device serving, when properly adjusted, to holdthe said free ends of said arms from spreading.

2. A fly-holder and vamp-stay for boots and shoes consisting of a wirebent to form the cross-bar d, the projections e, and the arms f havinghooks-g at their free ends, combined with the locking-slide h movablealong the said armsf and serving to lock or hold the free ends thereoffrom spreading, when desired.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

4 CURTIS N. LEONARD.

Witnesses:

HENRY CALVER, WM. A. MAoLEoD.

